Willie's Tug's week at Cap Sante in Anacortes is one of her best experiences. We call it 'home' and enjoy seeing friends we have known over the years, and meeting new friends.
Atlas, a gorgeous motor yacht adorns the end of our "E" Dock, and I frequently hear the security guard directing incoming boats after hours to turn down the fairway immediately after they pass the green hull boat.
We are delighted to meet a couple with a loaded dock cart as they pass our slip. They are Fred and Vic of M/Y Atlas. "Passengers?" I ask; "No," they tell me, "We are the Captain and Crew getting ready to take a group to Alaska."
Atlas is 95 feet long, and she will depart Anacortes June 8, traveling at 10 knots for ten hours a day to arrive at her destination of Sitka AK. We laughingly ask if they would tow us, as that is where we are going, also. Too late -- they will tow a 26 foot fishing boat for their guests.
We do hope to see Atlas somewhere along the way.
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| Atlas as seen from our slip on E Dock |
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| M/Y Atlas |
How many times over the years when we walked Dr. Jake, would someone come up to us and ask to pet him, because they had just lost their Golden or had to leave him home while they travel!
So, I can't miss the opportunity to teasingly speak to the couple with the sweet Golden on the dock today. Hmmm....they look familiar -- the dog definitely looks familiar, and when we learn his name is Boatswain or Bosun, we remember that we met them at Reid Harbor on Stuart Island a few years ago. Dick and Donna recall Jake going by their boat on his way up the ramp for his walk every day. Small world, good times.
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| Bosun |
Ray suggests a Captains' meeting at his home on Guemes Island for a relaxed Happy Hour and dinner. He and Herb discuss plans for cruising together on the Alaska trip in June. Brenna makes a raspberry-blueberry flan. Yum!
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| Lemon Zest for the Flan |
Well, the week isn't all fun, some work is always lurking around. The hum you hear is telling you the shower sump needs attention. It doesn't matter that I have just made the bed this morning -- it gets unmade for access to the pump.
Herb the skipper/mechanic/plumber determines the major problem is that the float switch has gone bad, so he replaces it.
There goes a whole day in our lives, but we are good for another year!
Final preparations for the cruise to Alaska include getting spare parts from the Ranger Tug warehouse in Kent WA. With a twinkle in Kenny's eye, he asks many questions on our departure date, ETA and destination. Then he tells me he, too, is going to Sitka -- his grandparents will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with a family trip on a cruise ship, and points on the calendar to their time to be in Sitka. Our paths won't cross, but I ask him to leave me a note, "Kenny was here!"
It must be 'old home week' when Ivan of the Monroe plant (where Willie's Tug was built) arrives and Herb describes to him what he had encountered in the shower sump maintenance. Ivan adds a new float switch to our parts package.
Andrew knows immediately what the hum is -- it had taken Herb an hour at 3A to 4A to diagnose the source, by pulling each fuse in succession.
Glancing around the office, I see my photo -- a sales flyer including a picture of Vicki and myself taken on our cruise down Hood Canal last summer. Nice memories of pleasant times.
And a special memory of previous years, as we drive back through Seattle.
Find the Ferris wheel on the waterfront in downtown Seattle....
and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
Wednesday - Tuesday, May 20 - 26, 2015
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